Twins Almanac (6/29): Moonlight, Killebrew, Oliva, & More

[Matt Johnson]

In Today's Almanac:

• Birthday of the greatest Twin
• Minnesota physician makes only MLB appearance
• Right fielder has eight-hit day
• Grand slam beats Nolan Ryan 4-0
• Rookie hits only home run on first career swing
• Eisenreich's return versus Twins
• Center fielder ties modern triples record

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Birthdate of Harmon Killebrew
Twins legend and fourth-ballot Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew was born in Payette, Idaho on this date in 1936. His 573 career home runs were second in AL history to only Babe Ruth at the time of his retirement in 1975. It was the most by an American League right-hander until Alex Rodriguez* surpassed him in 2009. 

Comment at the bottom of the page with your favorite memory, stat, or fun fact about the great man.

 

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Moonlight Makes Lone MLB Appearance
27-year-old Archibald Archibald Moonlight Graham got into his only major league game with the New York Giants on this date in 1905, playing right field for half an inning. He did not get a defensive chance or an at-bat.

The North Carolina native went on to practice medicine in Chisholm, MN for over 50 years. 

1976 Sauk Rapid graduate and St. Cloud State all-time great Bob Hegman played half an inning at second base for the eventual World Series Champion Royals on August 8, 1985. Like Moonlight, Hegman did not touch the ball or make a plate appearance.

 

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Oliva Has Eight-Hit Day
Right fielder Tony Oliva collected eight consecutive hits in a doubleheader in Kansas City on this date in 1969, including a 5-for-5 performance with two home runs, a double, and five RBI in Game 2. One of those home runs was a 517-footer that flew over the upper deck and out of Municipal Stadium. 

He reportedly nearly had a three-home run game, with his double bouncing off the top of the wall.

He was lifted for pinch-runner Charlie Manuel in the eighth; otherwise, he would have had a chance for a six-hit game when his spot came up again in the ninth. (Of course, only one player in Twins history has six hits in a game.)

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that Tony O's eight-straight hits in a single day is a team record. (The team record for consecutive hits overall is 12-straight by José Miranda in July 2024.) 

Bonus Trivia: Oliva hit a pinch-hit grand slam on this date in 1975.

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Grand Slam Beats Ryan
Bobby Darwin hit an eighth-inning grand slam off Nolan Ryan for the only runs in a 4-0 Twins win in Anaheim on this date in 1973. Bert Blyleven pitched a four-hit shutout in that game for Minnesota (with only two strikeouts). He led the majors with a team record nine shutouts that season. 

 

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Rookie Homers on First MLB Swing
26-year-old right fielder Andre David's first major league swing resulted in a two-run homer off Hall of Famer Jack Morris on this date in 1984. It was the only home run of David's career.

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Eisenreich's Return
In just his fourth game back after being out of the majors dealing with previously undiagnosed Tourette's Syndrome, St. Cloud legend Jim Eisenreich got his first hit with the Royals, doubling as part of a game-winning rally in his first-ever game against the Twins on this date in 1987.

Eisenreich went 4-for-11 (.364) with three doubles, a home run, five RBI, and three runs scored in the series, included a pinch-hit walk-off double in Game 3. (He was also caught stealing once.)

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Span Ties Triples Record
Twins center fielder Denard Span tied the modern (since 1900) record with three triples on this date in 2010, going 4-for-4 with a walk, five RBI, and two runs scored altogether in an 11-4 win over the Tigers at Target Field.

Ken Landreaux also hit three triples in a game in 1980.

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[Twins63]

Harmon coming to demonstrate his "Harmon Killebrew Power Stride" in 1970 at our T-ball all-star game that year.  He absolutely crushed a ball with the power stride that left us kids in complete awe of this man. With a T-ball bat he hit it out of the park that had a 30 foot high fence, across the street and landing in a grocery store parking lot that sat on a hill. Others remember it as landing on the roof of the grocery store 😁.  Either way we all agree now that probably the most amazing "hit" of any baseball player we've ever seen was hit by a man in street clothes with a toothpick of a bat in OUR baseball field one July evening in 1970.

[theBOMisthebomb]

Kirby Puckett is the greatest Twin.

Perhaps a Field of Dreams 2 movie based on Bob Hegman's career?